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Memorial Stadium (Clemson)

Memorial Stadium
"Death Valley"
MemorialStadiumSept2006.jpg
A view of the West End Zone and Lake Hartwell from the upper deck of the North stands. Sept. 2006
Location Avenue of Champions, Clemson, SC 29634
Coordinates 34°40′43″N 82°50′35″W / 34.67861°N 82.84306°W / 34.67861; -82.84306Coordinates: 34°40′43″N 82°50′35″W / 34.67861°N 82.84306°W / 34.67861; -82.84306
Owner Clemson University
Operator Clemson University
Capacity 81,500 (2008–present)
80,301 (2006–2007)
77,381 (2005)
81,473 (1992–2004)
79,854 (1984–1991)
73,915 (1983)
63,500 (1982)
53,306 (1978–1981)
43,451 (1960–1977)
38,000 (1958–1959)
20,500 (1942–1957)
Record attendance 86,092 (Clemson Tigers v Florida State) (1999)
Surface Tifway 419 Bermuda Grass
Construction
Broke ground October 6, 1941
Opened September 19, 1942
Expanded 1958, 1960, 1978, 1982, 1983, 2006
Construction cost $125,000 (original stadium)
($2.2 million in 2016 dollars)
Architect Carl Lee and Professor H.E. Glenn
General contractor A.N. Cameron and Hugh Webb
Tenants
Clemson Tigers (NCAA) (1942–present)
Carolina Panthers (NFL) (1995)

Frank Howard Field at Clemson Memorial Stadium, popularly known as "Death Valley", is home to the Clemson Tigers, an NCAA Division I FBS football team, located in Clemson, South Carolina. Built in 1941–1942, the stadium has seen expansions throughout the years, with the most recent being the WestZone, which began in 2004 and was completed in 2006.

Prior to the completion of Bank of America Stadium, in Charlotte, Memorial Stadium served as the venue for home games of the Carolina Panthers NFL team, for the team's inaugural 1995 season.

Currently, the stadium is the largest in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

The stadium was constructed against the wishes of the late and former Clemson Head Coach Jess Neely. Just before leaving for Rice University after the 1939 season, he told Frank Howard, "Don't ever let them talk you into building a big stadium. Put about 10,000 seats behind the YMCA. That's all you'll ever need." Despite this, the University decided it was time to build a stadium. They chose to build in the valley in the western part of campus. On April 3, 1941, the South Carolina General Assembly ratified an act authorizing a $150,000 bond issue for the new stadium, and the bill went to Governor Burnet R. Maybank for signature. The original 20,500 seat stadium—the lower half of the current facility's south grandstand—was constructed for $125,000 or $6.25 a seat. The stadium was designed by Carl Lee of Charlotte, N.C., a Clemson graduate, Class of 1908, and Professor H. E. Glenn of the engineering faculty. On September 19, 1942, Memorial Stadium was opened with a 32-13 victory over Presbyterian College. Much of the early construction of the stadium was done by scholarship athletes. In fact, the first staking out of the stadium was done by A. N. Cameron and Hugh Webb, two members of the football team.


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Wikipedia

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